The victory earns Pak a place in the LPGA Tour history books alongside Mickey Wright and Annika Sorenstam as the only women to win the same event five times. The $195,000 winner's check brings Pak's career earnings at the event to just shy of $1 million.

"First, winning is always great. That's always been perfect. You just want to win the tournament," Pak, who will soon be a member of the LPGA Tour and World Golf halls of fame, told the media. To make history, she added, "I think that's very special."

Pressel began to threaten Pak's victory early in the round Sunday after cutting her two-stroke deficit to one with a birdie on the second hole of the Highland Meadows Golf Club. Pressel then took the lead on No. 4, which she birdied and Pak bogeyed.

Pressel gained even more momentum with an ace on the sixth hole, her first career hole in one. But Pak bounced back with birdies on the eighth and ninth holes. Pressel said it was clear her ace jolted Pak into action.

"I think, obviously, I had a great shot," she told reporters. "My grandpa said it kind of woke her up, and she was firing right at it after that, and I couldn't quite make them."

The back nine was quiet through five holes before Pak birdied No. 15 to retake the lead. The pair both birdied No. 17, but Pak's birdie on the 18th hole and Pressel's bogey sealed Pak's victory.

Wendy Ward, Carri Wood, Laura Diaz and Laura Davies tied for third at 267. This was Wood's career best finish and it earned her a spot in the 2007 Ricoh Women's British Open at St. Andrews.

"This has been my best week on tour, between my best finish and getting to play at St. Andrews," she told the media. "I'd say this final round was probably as nerve-racking as the final round at Q School."

Anyone looking back at the final scores of the 2009 Ricoh Women's British Open at Royal Lytham and St. Anne's will almost certainly come to the wrong conclusion that this was a comfortable three-shot win for Catriona Matthew. It was anything but as the seemingly imperturbable Scot struggled to hit a fairway throughout the final round and was only rescued by some superb recovery shots and a bunch of astonishing long putts.
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